Comment by tarsinge
I disagree in the case of LLMs, because they really are an accidental side effect of another tool. Not understanding the inner workings will make users attribute false properties to them. Once you understand how they work (how they generate plausible text), you get a far deeper grasp on their capabilities and how to tweak and prompt them.
And in fact this is true of any tool, you don’t have to know exactly how to build them but any craftsman has a good understanding how the tool works internally. LLMs are not a screw or a pen, they are more akin to an engine, you have to know their subtleties if you build a car. And even screws have to be understood structurally in advanced usage. Not understanding the tool is maybe true only for hobbyists.
Could you provide an example of an advanced prompt technique or approach that one would be much more likely to employ if they had knowledge of X internal working?